Advanced Construction Technology and Sustainability - Research Paper Example

ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY 1 Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 1.0 Introduction and Context 4 2.0 Emerging Advanced Construction Technologies 5 2.1.0 Sustainable Production/Manufacturing 5 2.1.1 Advanced Construction Materials - Nanotechnology 6 2.1.2 Innovations, processes and managing the production process 8 2.1.3 Recyclable Materials 8 2.1.4 3D Printing Technologies 9 2.1.5 Hybrid Construction 11 2.1.5 Automation and Robotics in Construction Manufacturing 12 2.2.1 Sustainable Refurbishment and Retrofitting Methodologies for the Existing Buildings 14 2.2.2 Zero Carbon and Energy Efficient Buildings 15 2.2.3 Sustainable Construction Waste Management 15 2.2.4 Recycling Building Materials and Components 17 2.2.5 De-construction 17 2.2.6 Modern Methods of Construction 18 The construction industry has embraced the modern methods of construction and innovation by utilising concrete solutions that promote sustainable development, offer cost savings, and reduce construction time. Some of the modern methods of construction include Precast Flat Panel System, whereby the wall units and floor are manufactured off-site in the factory and then installed on-site to create robust structures, suitable for recurring cellular projects. Another method of construction is 3D Volumetric Construction, whereby the production of three-dimensional units in controlled factory conditions happens prior to transportation to the construction site. Basically, the modern methods of construction provide inbuilt benefits of concrete, like fire and sound resistance, thermal mass, and hasten on-site erection. Other modern methods of construction include Tunnel Form (the contractor creates monolithic slabs and walls in one operation), Flat Slabs (construction happens faster because of simplified and minimised modern formwork). Other includes Thin Joint Masonry, Precast Foundations, as well as Insulating Concrete Formwork. 18 2.2.7 Building Information Modelling and ICT Integrated Design and Implementation 18 2.2.8 Intelligent Decision Support Systems 19 2.3.0 Defect analysis 19 2.3.1 Total Quality Management Systems and Quality Control 20 2.3.2 Advanced Methods of Defects and Errors and Monitoring – Thermographic 21 2.3.3 Lean construction 22 2.4.0 Project supply chains 23 2.4.1 Sustainable Procurement Approaches 23 2.4.2 ICT Supported Supply Chain Integration and Web-Based Supply Chain Management 24 2.4.3 Design Integration and Design For Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) Approaches 25 2.4.4 Tracking and Managing the Production Process for New Buildings 26 3.0 Conclusion 26 4.0 References 27 Advanced Construction Technology and Sustainability Executive Summary Because of the stagnating technological development and construction process that is highly complex, a long-term preparation has become crucial for the adoption of advanced construction techniques. Engineers, architects and every other contributor to the process of construction must be included in this adaptation process. Different IT areas in the construction industry offer technology adoption documentation within the construction industry. This adoption, however, has not led to improved productivity. Design and construction sustainability in building demonstrates the desire to perform activities devoid of having harmful impacts or depleting resources. The different IT areas in the construction industry offer technology adoption documentation within the construction industry. This adoption, however, has not led to improved productivity. Lately, emerging technology in the industry has concentrated on collaboration and communication since they are beneficial to the process of construction. Latent building defects cannot be eliminated easily since they only appear during the stage of occupancy. Therefore, accessing occupied buildings to get defects information could be very challenging. In terms of function as well as structure, the construction industry’s project supply chain is typified by numerous elements; for instance, it is a converging supply chain that directs every material to the construction site where the incoming materials are utilised to assemble an object. The objective of this piece is to identify core challenges and issues associated with applying advanced construction technologies to warrant sustainability in architecture-engineering-construction sector in the global context. The piece focuses on four themes; Sustainable production/manufacturing, sustainable design and construction, defect analysis, and project supply chains. 1.0 Introduction and Context The construction and building industry is considered to be one of the world’s biggest and most crucial enterprises. The demand for sustainable building designs, especially in the fast-growing economies is extremely high since these designs would offer an improved living standard with reduced resource demand. Innovations are these days utilised to meet these demands and are applied in the fields of thermo-sciences, manufacturing and materials for constructing new buildings, rehabilitation, or retrofitting of existing buildings as well as to the buildings’ operation in efficient ways (Ma et al., 2012). As mentioned by Elattar (2010), the increasing recognition of utilising lightweight, low-cost, and environmentally friendly construction materials has been beneficial to the environment and maintenance of the material requirements. Advanced construction technology involves different types of modern practices and techniques which involve the most modern developments in management studies, facilities management, design procedures, materials technology, quantity surveying, as well as structural design and analysis (Eastman et al., 2011). When advanced construction technology is incorporated into practice, it results in improved levels of sustainability, efficiency, quality, safety, and value (Elattar, 2010). Advanced construction technologies normally include Modern methods of construction, Building information modelling (BIM), 3D printing, Robotics and so forth (DiStasio, 2016; Arayici et al., 2012; Struková & Líška, 2012). The advanced construction technology adoption needs suitable design, the entire project team commitment, good quality control, suitable procurement strategies, careful commissioning, and proper training. 2.0 Emerging Advanced Construction Technologies As mentioned by Holt et al. (2015), the different IT areas in the construction industry offer technology adoption documentation within the construction industry. This adoption, however, has not led to improved productivity. Lately, emerging technology in the industry has concentrated on collaboration and communication since they are beneficial to the process of construction. 2.1.0 Sustainable Production/Manufacturing Although construction activities result in improved human lives quality, they also affect the environment. As mentioned by Delgado et al. (2015) producing construction materials needs energy, which normally leads to the generation of greenhouse gases. Affordable or low-cost building materials, as well as construction technologies, are habitually utilised as a magic potion to meet the increasing rapid housing delivery demand, especially in the developing economies. Therefore, new advanced materials allow for the change of buildings’ construction and retrofitting techniques. In addition, they offer added value based on improved functionality and performance. Reducing construction materials’ carbon footprint could be initiated at the production stage, where processes considered energy efficient could be developed and recycled, or waste or materials could be utilised. According to Delgado et al. (2015), new materials could as well facilitate in managing the new durability challenges in the changing climate. 2.1.1 Advanced Construction Materials - Nanotechnology Nanomaterials technology is considered to be environmentally sustainable; therefore, nanotechnology is nowadays utilised in the production of humans' day-to-day consumption like types of coatings, insulators, cosmetics, and so forth. According to Daryoush and Darvish (2013), utilising Nanoparticles in the main structures of buildings could generally improve the Carbon Nano Tubes as well as mechanical properties. Nanocoatings in the building interior and envelope finishes play a crucial role in the exterior and interior facade of buildings. The building Nanocoatings minimise the pollutants absorption, desorb the water, and makes the façade UV radiation resistant. These days, Nanomaterials are utilised in the building materials as the fire resistant glass, self-cleaning and reinforced concrete that controls as well as reduce the consumption of energy utilising nano colours that resist the bacteria influence in hospitals, residential, administrative, and other types of buildings. Utilisation of nanoparticles has raised issues regarding its toxicity with some studies as cited by Pacheco-Torgal and Jalali (2011) demonstrating that nanoparticles could lead to symptoms such as the ones attributed to asbestos fibres. There is the likelihood of DNA damage leading to a later cancer development. But the risk of nanotoxicity depends on the type of nanoparticles and superficial characteristics of concentration volume. A good example of building constructed using nanotechnology is the Dio Padre Misericordioso Church, commonly referred to as Jubilee Church. The church has retained its bright white hue as a result of particles of nanostructured titanium dioxide that have been embedded in the cement binder while making the concrete walls (see figure one). According to Halford (2011), the nanostructured TiO2 particles will theoretically maintain the concrete white ceaselessly since the Titanium dioxide has self-cleaning properties. Self-cleaning surfaces provide energy savings through reduction of energy used to clean the facades of the building. Nanotechnology also depollutes and gets rid of air pollutants (organic and inorganic) such as nitrogen oxide by reducing them into relatively benign elements (Sev & Ezel, 2014). Figure one: Jubilee Church (Halford, 2011) 2.1.2 Innovations, processes and managing the production process Innovation success in the construction industry depends on the internal networks’ communication between, but this has been challenging in the traditional construction process. Bock et al. (2012), the innovativeness of the construction industry depends on the realisation of the successful innovation process. Moreover, this is indispensable in the construction process, which nowadays is considered as a more or less. Some of the factors that obstruct innovation process include management problems, fragmented industrial structure, an adversarial culture, specifications changes, cyclic demands, unsuitable procurement forms, inappropriate risk allocation, and poor construction methods. According to Bock et al. (2012), innovation is a form of change that must be managed cautiously since different actors are involved. Normally, organisations and human beings are unwilling to change after the existing structures, revenue streams and power distribution have been changed; therefore, real innovation involves persuading actors and changing their mindset through incentives. Still, specific strategies and concepts on the change impact as well as innovation deployment in the construction industry remain rare. 2.1.3 Recyclable Materials Salvaging as well as recycling construction and building materials have become an established tradition. For many tears, demolition waste has been utilised as sub-bases and foundations for new construction, pavements, and roads. Some people have also started recycling old concrete as new concrete’s crushed aggregate, even though there is a genuine concern regarding fine aggregate. Some building elements, like bricks, ashlar blocks, decorative items, tiles, roofing slates, flooring tiles and lintels have been recovered as well as re-used. Recently, people have become more sensitive to waste reduction and re-use maximisation, which has gradually increased the role for waste and redundant products. As evidenced in figure two, empty glass beer bottles are being utilised to build houses. In Thailand, one million beer bottles were utilised to construct a Buddhist temple, which demonstrates that reclaimed and recycled building materials could actually be beautiful (Steph, 2017). Figure Two: Buddhist Temple Constructed By Recyclable Materials 2.1.4 3D Printing Technologies 3D printing, according to Celani et al. (2015), can be described as materials’ computer-controlled sequential layering to generate 3-dimensional shapes. In essence, it is valuable for prototyping and production of components that are geometrically complex. An item’s 3D digital model is generated, either using a 3D scanner or through computer-aided design (CAD). Afterwards, the design is read by the printer and printing medium successive layers are laid down and fused or joined for an item creation. Although the process could be sluggish, nearly all shapes could be created. Printing could generate different components at the same time, could utilise multiple colours and materials but depends on the adopted technique. In the construction industry, 3D printing could be utilised to 'print' entire buildings or create construction components. 3D printing facilitates accurate and faster construction of bespoke or complex items and lowers labour costs, and the waste generated exceedingly lower (Celani et al., 2015). As compared to the traditional manufacturing techniques, 3D printing allows for waste reduction and reduces human interaction. The major issue attributed to 3D printing is its high cost given that printing large number objects is exceedingly expensive. Because of material costs, the additive manufacturing is not considered a suitable technical choice since the material degrades over time. At a time, the quality of 3D printed building components is lower as compared to the traditionally manufactured building (Pîrjan & Petroşanu, 2013). A case example of 3D printing is Dubai’s ‘Office of the Future’, which was the first 3D printed mansion and office building in the world (Garofalo, 2016). The objective of constructing the building was to showcase UAE's innovation commitment and promote the country as the 3D printing leader in the world (DiStasio, 2016). This 3D-printed building has numerous features of energy saving, which include window shades for protecting the building from the blazing sun of Dubai (see figure four). Figure Four: Dubai’s 3D-printed Office (DiStasio, 2016) 2.1.5 Hybrid Construction As pointed out by Soetanto et al. (2007), hybrid construction combines in-situ and precast concrete. The materials are utilised based on their strengths as well as weaknesses with the aim of providing competitive, buildable, and simple high-quality structures which provide reliable performance. Basically, hybrid concrete construction could include the strength of precasting (such as high-quality, colour, finish, accuracy, as well as covercrete that is properly cured) with in-situ construction strengths (such as robustness, moulability, flexibility, and continuity). The precast together with in-situ concrete could be utilised together in various ways to improve the design horizons for contractors, engineers and architects. According to Soetanto et al. (2007), achieving hybrid construction benefits depend on the efficacy as well as the smoothness of the management of construction processes, procurement, and design. A good example of hybrid construction is Hilton hotel, Tower Bridge (see figure five). The hybrid concrete construction was selected to facilitate a fast construction since all the floor were completed in only five days, which includes installation of the bathroom pods. According to MPA (2010), the precast walls were used for every soffit and dividing wall, offered accurate, high-quality finish and reduced the following trades. In contrast to other construction techniques, the site was cleaner, and construction noise was reduced tremendously. Figure 6: Construction of Hilton Hotel Using Hybrid Construction (MPA, 2010) 2.1.5 Automation and Robotics in Construction Manufacturing In construction work execution, automation and robotics have different advantages such as reduced reliance on direct labour, fewer issues associated with quality and work repetitiveness, in addition to the reduction of labour costs. Given that automated systems need fewer operators, productivity is improved since human factor limitations are disengaged. According to Struková and Líška (2012), automation and robotics increase occupational safety since they reduce labour injuries attributed to working in dangerous zones. However, there are some factors that limit the implementation of automation and robotics systems in the construction sites. For instance, robot normally experience technological barriers since they have to handle the construction process complexity implying a construction site that is naturally evolving and extremely dynamic. Implementing automation and robotics in construction sites could face issues associated with organisation and structure of the construction industry, construction product features as well as work and human and culture factor (Struková & Líška, 2012). In comparison to traditional construction approaches, automation and robotics do not require labour-intensive procedures and tasks are completed faster. As mentioned by Kumar et al. (2008), construction robots eliminate workers exposure to heavy, dangerous, and dirty labour, but they need a lot of time for set up, clean up and adjusting. The automation and robotics need skilled personnel to operate and continuously monitor them. A good example of automation and robotics is NCC Komplett, which had 60 operators and a yearly capacity of 1000 apartments. The apartments that left the factory were 90 percent prefabricated. The wall panels were built by reinforced concrete with steel profiles that were integrated vertically. This facilitated the total installations integration which included a dry plug-and-play assembly of the bathroom modules, Kitchen and panels as well as all conduits installation by means of hatches (Beim et al., 2010). Figure 7: NCC Komplett Production Line (Beim et al., 2010) 2.2.0 Sustainable design and construction 2.2.1 Sustainable Refurbishment and Retrofitting Methodologies for the Existing Buildings Refurbishing or retrofitting the existing buildings has numerous opportunities and challenges. In this case, the challenges are attributed to many uncertainties, like a change in government policies, services, climate change, human behaviour change, and so forth. They directly influence the choice of retrofit technologies as well as the retrofit project success. Basically, managing system interactions and such uncertainties is a major technical challenge for all retrofit projects for sustainable buildings. Refurbishing or retrofitting is also influenced by financial barriers as well as limitations and operations interruptions. The building owners’ willingness to provide financial support for retrofits is an additional challenge, especially if the government is not providing financial support. Refurbishing or retrofitting, on the other hand, provides enormous opportunities for increased staff productivity, enhanced energy efficiency, lessened costs of maintenance as well as improved thermal comfort. Retrofitting and refurbishing can help improve the energy security of the country and also reduce energy price volatility risks (Ma et al., 2012). Some of the methodologies for sustainable retrofitting and refurbishing include; home automation, cool roofs, solar power, geoexchange technologies, LED lighting, and water harvesting systems. In the UK, a retrofit scheme was carried out in New Barracks Estate, Salford, UK. Approximately 78 homes were retrofitted, and most of them were in poor shape, which includes inefficient old heating systems and poor ventilation and insulation. According to Jankel (2014), the project led to 47 percent reduction in C02 emissions. 2.2.2 Zero Carbon and Energy Efficient Buildings In 2007, the government of United Kingdom enacted a policy that states all newly constructed homes from 2016 have to meet a Zero Carbon Standard. The core requirements for a home to be considered Zero Carbon includes reduce energy demand, the CO2 emissions must be below the Carbon Compliance limit, and all the remaining CO2 emissions have to be reduced to zero (UK Building Regulations, 2014). The advantages of zero carbon and energy efficient buildings include reduced energy austerity requirement, reduced risk of loss associated with grid blackouts, energy independence, and improved reliability. However, there some challenges such as high costs and obstruction of the sun in areas relying on solar energy (Malin, 2010). Pearl River Tower is a good example of a Zero-Energy building (see figure eight). The tower is located in Guangzhou and utilises geothermal, sun, and wind energy to power itself. Figure 8: Pearl River Tower (Hui, 2010) 2.2.3 Sustainable Construction Waste Management Construction activities which generate cost but add no progress or value to the product are considered a waste. Waste in the construction industry is sourced from activities or processes associated with the designer, manufacturer, the process of construction as well as the client. Waste is normally generated through contract document error, ordering error, design changes, accidents, lack of waste management, construction materials damage while being transported and off cuts. Most construction companies are unwilling to espouse low-waste disposal methods because they are costly. Figure nine demonstrates a systematic process for managing construction waste. Waste generation in the construction industry can be examined through the building life cycle and help in waste elimination where possible. Without a doubt, construction waste management is an important factor of green building and sustainable building practices (Hamid et al., 2016). In the United Kingdom, 220 million tonnes of construction as well as demolition wastes are generated annually (Ismam & Ismail, 2014). Figure 9: Construction Waste Management Systematic Process (Hamid et al., 2016) The combination of voluntary agreements, economic instruments, and waste management regulation are some of the strategies espoused by UK government to reduce the generation of waste and realise targets of environmental, social, and ethical performance. The government established the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to improve UK’s waste management practices. 2.2.4 Recycling Building Materials and Components Responsible waste management is an important factor of sustainable building. Recycling has been considered as a sustainable management way of waste management. Basically, volumes of generated building-related waste are considerably affected by macroeconomic conditions that influence societal consumption trends, construction, as well as anthropogenic and natural hazards. Recycling of building materials and components has led to reduced volumes of demolition and construction waste disposed of in the landfills. Failure to recycle societal wastes is deemed unsustainable. Recycling building materials are important because it eliminates waste and reduces impacts on the environment as well as human health. 2.2.5 De-construction As indicated by Teshnizi (2011), the construction industry is considered to be waste generators and resource consumers, which lead to numerous economic, social, and environmental impacts. Therefore, buildings deconstruction is now considered as a substitute to demolition. Deconstruction allows for increased number of materials and components to be recycled and reused. As a result, the percentage of demolition waste disposed of in the landfills is reduced tremendously. When deconstruction is ignored, a pile of debris is created, which cannot be reused viably. As cited by Teshnizi (2011), most building is nowadays built in a way that facilitates future deconstruction. For instance, many buildings in Iran are demolished annually, largely because of natural disasters, completion of its useful lifespan, or low safety standards. The majority of the demolished Iranian buildings were constructed in the 1960s or earlier and were built using clay brick. Therefore, demolition often happens manually, and just a few limited materials like windows, metal, bricks, and doors are recycled while the rest are deposited in the landfills. In Tehran, this method of demolition has led to more than 42000 tonnes of demolition and construction waste per day. Iran lacks technical knowledge and public tendency about deconstruction. 2.2.6 Modern Methods of Construction The construction industry has embraced the modern methods of construction and innovation by utilising concrete solutions that promote sustainable development, offer cost savings, and reduce construction time. Some of the modern methods of construction include Precast Flat Panel System, whereby the wall units and floor are manufactured off-site in the factory and then installed on-site to create robust structures, suitable for recurring cellular projects. Another method of construction is 3D Volumetric Construction, whereby the production of three-dimensional units in controlled factory conditions happens prior to transportation to the construction site. Basically, the modern methods of construction provide inbuilt benefits of concrete, like fire and sound resistance, thermal mass, and hasten on-site erection. Other modern methods of construction include Tunnel Form (the contractor creates monolithic slabs and walls in one operation), Flat Slabs (construction happens faster because of simplified and minimised modern formwork). Other includes Thin Joint Masonry, Precast Foundations, as well as Insulating Concrete Formwork. 2.2.7 Building Information Modelling and ICT Integrated Design and Implementation By nature, construction projects are complicated, fragmented, risky, as well as uncertain. ICTs have been considered as capable of meeting the needed project improvements and processes for construction projects. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is normally utilised to encapsulate buildings with certain perspectives of the stakeholders. BIM integrates all the building relationships and objects’ digital descriptions to others accurately, in order that stakeholders could estimate, simulate, and query activities as well as their effects on the process of the building process. BIM could facilitate the provision of the needed value judgments for developing an infrastructure that is more sustainable, which satisfy both the occupants and owners. As mentioned by Arayici et al. (2012) BIM technology offer a business process that is more streamlined and facilitates construction knowledge at the time of building project’s full life cycle. 2.2.8 Intelligent Decision Support Systems Intelligent Decision Support Systems (DSS) are important for construction project planning considering that it involves multiple parties like contractors, consultants and clients. To execute a construction project successfully depends on the construction company ability to make the right decision at the right time. Traditionally, decision makers used to make decisions based on emotion and past experience. However, this form of decision-making practice does not bring about the reliable decision and often result in bias. The modern-day construction industry is complex; therefore, insufficient and undetermined external information while making a decision can lead to incomplete, biased, and poorly constructed outcome. The intelligent DSS serve as supporting tools that help users by offering suggestions particularly when the complex problem and the fragmented information is involved (Riaz & Husain, 2012). 2.3.0 Defect analysis According to Chong and Low (2006), latent building defects cannot be eliminated easily since they only appear during the stage of occupancy. Therefore, accessing occupied buildings to get defects information could be very challenging. Basically, design deficiencies largely contribute to latent defects, and these deficiencies could be prevented through design improvements. 2.3.1 Total Quality Management Systems and Quality Control These systems can improve quality in the construction industry considering that 'quality' together with its concepts have become extremely important for the construction industry. Basically, the Total Quality Management philosophy of co-operation and teamwork, not conflict as well as confrontation is needed for the construction industry. TQM enable the construction companies to focus on quality and to improve it continuously in all phases of the building process. The companies’ management has to take part in the process of implementation (Arditi & Gunaydin, 1997). According to Chin-Keng and Abdul-Rahman (2011), most contractors in Hong Kong and Singapore experience challenges in implementing ISO 9000 certification and quality assurance (QA), respectively. Chin-Keng and Abdul-Rahman (2011) further observed that the construction industry does not have sufficient mutual support and open communications attributed to trust-based relationships between the participants of the project to bring about substantive quality improvement. The figure below shows the total quality management elements in the process of construction. Figure 10: Total quality management elements in the process of construction 2.3.2 Advanced Methods of Defects and Errors and Monitoring – Thermographic The thermographic technologies can be utilised to measures the temperatures of the surface through still cameras and infrared video. Such tools make out light which is in the heat spectrum. The temperature variations are recorded, where black shows cooler areas and white show warm regions. These images could be utilised by the auditor to examine whether there is a need for insulation. The thermographic inspection can be achieved through exterior or interior survey. The infrared thermography is beneficial because it is faster, does not affect the operator by harmful radiation, and thermographs can be interpreted easily. However, some of the shortcoming includes the fact that it can only be applied to limited surface thickness; it is affected by thermal losses and can be interfered by extraneous heat sources (Lo & Choi, 2004). Thermographic technologies can be utilised to detect thermal voids, irregularities, moisture intrusion, and air leakage. The figure below is an example of IR Thermography of wall condition. Figure 11: IR Thermography of wall condition (Lo & Choi, 2004) 2.3.3 Lean construction As mentioned by Marhani et al. (2013), lean construction is suitable for eliminating waste and managing the construction process. The lean construction enables companies in the construction industry to stop using traditional construction techniques and espouse less waste generation, energy efficient and environmental-friendly techniques of construction (Marhani et al., 2013). Lean construction implementation is fragmented since the application of single methods and tools is already prevalent. The widespread application makes it challenging to create an implementation guideline for lean principles. According to Sarhan and Fox (2013), launching lean disrupt the status quo and makes it challenging to perform. Still, efforts of lean construction could be extremely rewarding to the construction industry across the globe. Basically, the challenges of Lean construction implementation are attributed to human and cultural attitudinal issues. The key concepts of lean construction are evidenced in the figure below. Figure 12: Lean Construction Key Concepts (Marhani et al., 2013) 2.4.0 Project supply chains 2.4.1 Sustainable Procurement Approaches According to Ruparathna and Hewage (2015), sustainable procurement is an important process of all construction projects that involves every activity associated with offering consultancy, services, and goods needed to achieve the project objectives. Basically, construction procurement is considered to be a multi-dimensional process that combines different aspects like contract conditions, contract strategy, culture, performance, sustainability, and so forth. Basically, promoting sustainability through procurement involves overcome numerous shortcoming identified in the conventional processes of procurement. In 2006, lack of federal green procurement policy in Canada led to the development of Canadian Policy on Green Procurement (OECD, 2015). Public-private partnerships were initially developed in the UK with the aim of making the private sector companies more efficient at offering certain services as compared to the public authorities. PPP is normally considered by governments as the most suitable strategy for large-scale projects like schools and hospitals. 2.4.2 ICT Supported Supply Chain Integration and Web-Based Supply Chain Management Recently, the use of Internet, as well as Internet-based technologies, has increased tremendously together with other ICT components in the construction industry. Basically, the present state of deploying ICT systems in the SCM in the building technologies cluster is in the infancy stages. A number of studies as cited by Niu et al. (2004) have demonstrated that ICT are utilised widely in the building technologies cluster, but they are concentrating on discrete solutions associated with certain separate linkages requirements of the supply chain. Integrating ICTs in the supply chain should result in improved effectiveness as well as efficiency across all supply chain linkages and members. The figure below shows different supply chain management evolution levels in building technologies cluster. Figure 13: The Five Levels of Supply Chain Management Evolution in Building Technologies Cluster (Niu et al., 2004) 2.4.3 Design Integration and Design For Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) Approaches Reducing time and cost during product development is imperative since it enables the company to handle the market competitiveness effectively. DfMA plays a major role in the development of products and its consideration result in standardisation as well as simplification of design and construction processes. According to Favi et al. (2016), DfMA help reduces production costs and offers greater benefits. Furthermore, the DfMA offers engineers the tools that would help them decide where the cost in design is necessary according to the customer functions and where to remove costs. DfMA is important in the construction industry since it helps reduce costs and improve productivity. The figure below shows the difference between Favi et al. (2016) proposed approach and the traditional conceptual DfA approach. Figure 14: Traditional conceptual DfA approach vs. the proposed approach (Favi et al., 2016) 2.4.4 Tracking and Managing the Production Process for New Buildings Tracking is important because it helps reduce wastes generated by buildings and help facility managers, occupants, and building owners to improve waste management, enhance sustainability as well as reduce costs. Tracking help new building save money, streamline information sharing as well as reporting while tracking waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions through waste prevention and recycling, and conserve resources. Basically, tracking your waste as well as recycling offers a basis for a successful waste reduction. 3.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this piece has identified core challenges and issues associated with applying advanced construction technologies to warrant sustainability in architecture-engineering-construction sector in the global context. As demonstrated in the report, the construction industry should improve automation so as to reduce energy use and labour. Furthermore, improved technology knowledge can lead to productivity improvements. New advanced materials allow for the change of buildings’ construction and retrofitting techniques and they offer added value based on improved functionality and performance. As mentioned in the report, refurbishing or retrofitting offers enormous opportunities for increased staff productivity, enhanced energy efficiency, lessened costs of maintenance as well as improved thermal comfort. It can also help improve the energy security of the country and also reduce energy price volatility risk. As mentioned in the report, recycling building materials are important because it eliminates waste and reduces impacts on the environment as well as human health. Design deficiencies largely contribute to latent defects, and these deficiencies could be prevented through design improvements. It has been observed that sustainable procurement is an important process of all construction projects that involves every activity associated with offering consultancy, services, and goods needed to achieve the project objectives. Tracking helps reduce wastes generated by buildings and facilitates improvement of waste management. 4.0 References Arayici, Y., Egbu, C. & Coates, P., 2012. Building Information Modelling (Bim) Implementation And Remote Construction Projects: Issues, Challenges, And Critiques. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, vol. 17, pp.75-92. Arditi, D. & Gunaydin, M., 1997. Total quality management in the construction process. International Journal of Project Management, vol. 15, no. 4, pp.235-43. Beim, A., Nielsen, J. & Vibæk, K.S., 2010. Three Ways of Assembling a House. Copenhagen K, Denmark: Centre for Industrialised Architecture. Bock, T. et al., 2012. INNOVATION DEPLOYMENT STRATEGIES IN CONSTRUCTION. In Creative Construction Conference. Budapest, Hungary, 2012. Celani, G., Sperling, D.M. & Franco, J.M.S., 2015. Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures. The Next City - New Technologies and the Future of the Built Environment. In 6th International Conference, CAAD Futures. São Paulo, Brazil, 2015. Springer. Chin-Keng, T. & Abdul-Rahman, H., 2011. Study of Quality Management in Construction Projects. Chinese Business Review, vol. 10, no. 7, pp.542-52. Chong, W.-K. & Low, S.-P., 2006. Latent Building Defects: Causes and Design Strategies to Prevent Them. Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities , vol. 20, no. 3, pp.213-21. Daryoush, B. & Darvish, A., 2013. A Case Study and Review of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Green Architecture. Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences, vol. 5, no. 2, pp.78-84. Delgado, J.M.P.Q., Cerný, R., Lima, A.G.B.d. & Guimarães, a.A.S., 2015. Advances in Building Technologies and Construction Materials. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2015, pp.1-3. DiStasio, C., 2016. Dubai debuts world’s first fully 3D-printed building. [Online] Available at: http://inhabitat.com/dubai-debuts-worlds-first-fully-3d-printed-building/ [Accessed 4 April 2017]. Eastman, C., Teicholz, P., Sacks, R. & Liston, K., 2011. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Elattar, S.M.S., 2010. Towards advanced Building Technology Role through applying competitive building materials and systems. In Conference On Technology & Sustainability in the Built Environment. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2010. King saud university. Favi, C., Germani, M. & Mandolini, M., 2016. Design for Manufacturing and Assembly vs. Design to Cost: toward a multi-objective approach for decision-making strategies during conceptual design of complex products. Procedia CIRP , vol. 50, pp.275 – 280. Garofalo, F., 2016. The world’s first 3D-printed office building is in Dubai. [Online] Available at: http://www.lifegate.com/people/lifestyle/worlds-first-3d-printed-office-building-dubai [Accessed 4 April 2017]. Halford, B., 2011. Nanotechnology makes inroads in the construction industry. American Chemical Society, vol. 89, no. 24, pp. 12 - 17. Hamid, Z.A., Zain, M.Z.M. & Roslan, A.F., 2016. Sustainable Construction Waste Management. The Ingenieur, vol. 66, pp.62-70. Holt, E.A., Benham, J.M. & Bigelow, B.F., 2015. Emerging Technology in the Construction Industry: Perceptions from Construction Industry Professionals. In 122nd ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. Seattle, Washington , 2015. American Society for Engineering Education. Hui, S.C.M., 2010. Zero energy and zero carbon buildings: myths and facts. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Intelligent Systems, Structures and Facilities (ISSF2010): Intelligent Infrastructure and Buildings. Hong Kong, China, 2010. Ismam, J.N. & Ismail, Z., 2014. Sustainable Construction Waste Management Strategic Implementation Model. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, vol. 10, pp.48-59. Jankel, Z., 2014. Delivering and Funding Housing Retrofit: A Review of Community Models. Research Paper. London: ARUP. Kumar, V.S.S., M.ASCE, Prasanthi, I. & Leena, A., 2008. Robotics and Automation in Construction Industry. In Architectural Engineering Conference (AEI). Denver, Colorado , 2008. Lo, T.Y. & Choi, K.T.W., 2004. Building defects diagnosis by infrared thermography. Structural Survey, vol. 22, no. 5, pp.259-63. Ma, Z., Cooper, P., Daly, D. & Ledo, L., 2012. Existing Building Retrofits: Methodology and State-of-the-Art. Energy and Buildings, vol. 55, no. 12, pp.889-902. Malin, N., 2010. The Problem with Net-Zero Buildings (and the Case for Net-Zero Neighborhoods). [Online] Available at: https://www.buildinggreen.com/feature/problem-net-zero-buildings-and-case-net-zero-neighborhoods [Accessed 4 April 2017]. Marhani, M.A., Jaapar, A., Bari, N.A.A. & Zawawi, M., 2013. Sustainability through Lean Construction Approach: A literature review. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 101, pp.90 – 99. MPA, 2010. Camberley, Surrey. Working Paper. Camberley, Surrey: Mineral Products Association The Concrete Centre. Niu, Y., Nwagboso, C., Proverbs, D. & Olomolaiye, P., 2004. Developing supply chain integration in building technologies cluster. In 20th Annual ARCOM Conference. Edinburgh, UK, 2004. Association of Researchers in Construction Management. OECD, 2015. Going Green: Best Practices for Sustainable Procurement. Working Paper. Paris: OECD. Pacheco-Torgal, F. & Jalali, S., 2011. Nanotechnology: Advantages and drawbacks in the field of construction and building materials. Construction and Building Materials, vol. 25, no. 2, pp.582–90. Pîrjan, A. & Petroşanu, D.-M., 2013. The Impact Of 3d Printing Technology On The Society And Economy. Journal of Information Systems & Operations Management , vol. 7, no. 2, pp.163-73. Riaz, M.N. & Husain, S.A., 2012. Intelligent Decision Support System for Construction Project Monitoring. In 15th International Multitopic Conference (INMIC). Islamabad, Pakistan, 2012. IEEE. Ruparathna, R. & Hewage, K., 2015. Sustainable procurement in the Canadian construction industry: current practices, drivers and opportunities. Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 109, pp. 305–314. Sarhan, S. & Fox, A., 2013. Barriers to Implementing Lean Construction in the UK Construction Industry. The Built & Human Environment Review, vol. 6, pp.1-17. Sev, A. & Ezel, M., 2014. Nanotechnology Innovations for the Sustainable Buildings of the Future. International Journal of Civil, Environmental, Structural, Construction and Architectural Engineering, vol. 8, no. 8, pp.886-96. Soetanto, R., Dainty, A.R.J., Glass, J. & Price, A.D.F., 2007. Structural frame selection processes: case studies of hybrid concrete construction projects. Building Research & Information , vol. 35, no. 2, pp.1-11. Steph, 2017. 10 Surprising Reclaimed & Recycled Building Materials. [Online] Available at: http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2010/03/29/10-surprising-reclaimed-recycled-building-materials/ [Accessed 4 April 2017]. Struková, Z. & Líška, M., 2012. Application Of Automation And Robotics In Construction Work Execution. Ad Alta : Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, vol. 2, no. 2, pp.121-. Teshnizi, M.D.S.Z.A.H., 2011. Building deconstruction and material recovery in Iran: An analysis of major determinants. Procedia Engineering, vol. 21, pp.853 – 863. UK Building Regulations, 2014. Zero Carbon Homes And Nearly Zero Energy Buildings. Leaflet. London: The Zero Carbon Hub. Vrijhoef, R. & Koskela, L., 2000. The four roles of supply chain management in construction. European Journal of Purchasing & Supply Management, vol. 6, pp.169-78. Read More